Fence-post



UNITED STATES y PATENT OEEIcE.

JACOB OOPENHAVER, OF GLEN HOPE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FENCE-Pos1.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,300, dated May 20, 1890.

' Application led January 11, 1890. Serial No. 336,680. (No model.) *A

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB COPENHAVER, of Glen Hope, in the county of Clearfield and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Fence-Post, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

vMy invention relates to improvements in metal fence-posts; and the object of my invention is to provide a simple, substantial, and durable fence-post that may be easily planted, and that may be easily adapted to sustain a wire fence, or that may be provided with a supplementary wooden post, to which rails or boards may belattached in the usual manner.

To this end myinvention consists in a broad blade having ribbed edges and a spear-shaped point and an upwardly-extending shank cast integral with the blade, and provided with a bracket and bolt-holes, so that a supplementary post maybe easily attached to the shank. This construction will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters ofv reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a front elevation of the device in position in the ground, the position of a wooden post thereon being indicated by dotted lines; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same, but with a wooden post attached; Fig. 3, a side elevation with a post attached adapted to support a wire fence; and Fig. 4, a vertical section of the upper portion of the wire-sup porting post on the line .fr a; of Fig. 3, showing the manner in which the wires are held therein.

The blade A is made sufficiently broad to give it a rln hold upon the soil, is provided with ribbed edges a to increase its strength, and with a spear-shaped point having shoulders h. This construction will enable the blade to be easily driven into the ground, and will also cause it to be held firmly in place.

The blade A is reduced. at the top at the point where it leaves the ground into an upwardl y-extendin g shank A, which is also provided with ribbed edges a to give it additional strength, and with holes d near the upper and lower end thereof, through which bolts maybe inserted to attach a supplementary wooden or metal post. The upper end of the blade A, near the point where it terminates in the shank A is provided with a pro jecting strap or bracket B, through which a wooden post or support may be driven, the bracket being cast upon the blade, although it maybe separately formed and attached. The shank A at the points where the boltholes d occur is re-enforced by horizontal ribs e, which extend across the face thereof.

If the post is to support a wooden fence, it is provided with a supplementary wooden post D, which extends above the .shank A', and to which the fence may be attached.

The post D is driven downwardly through the bracket B into the ground, and is secured to the shank A by the bolts f, which pass through the post D, through the bolt-holes (l of the shank A and are provided with suitable heads and nuts to hold them in place.

Vhen a wire fence is to be supported, the post is provided with a short wooden stake D', which is driven through the` bracket B into the ground till the upper end extends but little above the bracket, and with a supplementary metal post E, which consists of two vertically-separable strips of 1netal,which are attached to the shank A by thev bolts f, which project through the post E and holes CZ of the shank. The two parts of the post will thus be clamped together. The post E extends upwardly above the shank A and at the point l, near the top of the shank, it is given a twist, which gives it additional strength. The wires g, which compose the fence, pass between the two'parts of the post E, which is provided at intervals with horizontal recesses or grooves h to receive the wires. The' fiat surfaces of the two parts of the post will thus come together, and the wires g, resting in the recesses or grooves h, will be prevented from dropping down, The recesses or grooves h are formed by simply bending the parts of the post E slightly outwardly and inwardly at the required points. The parts of the post E above the shank A are held together by the clasps or clamping pieces f, which tit closely upon the post, and

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are placed above and'below the Wires g, thus holding the parts of the post together and keeping the Wires in place therein.

In using the post the blade A should be driven into the ground until the bracketB is nearly flush with the surface thereof, and if the ground is hard a hole may be made With a bar to receive it.

The post may be supported by a stake D', as described, although if the ground is very trln it will not be needed.

Having thus described my invention, I clailn as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a fence-post, an upper section E, formed of two parallel flat plates resting flat- Wise one upon the other throughout their lengths, twisted axially, as at x', and having registering transverse grooves h in their adjacent faces and clasps t t around said plates vand securing them together, substantially as formed above said post with wire-receiving grooves h and clasps t' t' around said section E above the post A, substantially as set forth.

JACOB COPENHAVER.

Witnesses:

F. W. MOORE, C. B. SHAW. 

